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Is the White House Haunted?

© Mary M. Alward

There are many old houses that are said to be haunted and the White House, which is the home of the President of the United States, is one of them.

Many tales of haunted houses are simply tales of the imagination. However, the stories of ghosts and hauntings at the White House have a lot of evidence that indicate they might be true.

Many guest who have stayed at the White House have reported seeing the ghost of Abraham Lincoln in the vicinity (area) of his former bedroom. He has also been seen pacing the second floor hallway, seemingly in an agitated state.

The first person to report seeing the ghost of Mr. Lincoln was former First Lady, Grace Coolidge. She said she saw him standing in the Oval Office, looking out the window. It seemed to her that he was deeply concerned about something.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands heard a knock on her door one night when she was getting ready for bed. Her room was directly across the hall from Mr. Lincoln's former bedroom and when she answered the door, she was looking at the ghostly figure of the former President. He said nothing and turned and walked away.

A staff member of Franklin D. Roosevelt saw Mr. Lincoln sitting on the side of the bed in his former bedroom. The woman said he was taking off his boots and appeared to be preparing to retire for the night. The woman was terribly frightened and left the room immediately.

Harry Truman saw the ghostly apparition of Mr. Lincoln, as did his daughter, Margaret. Mr. Truman was visited in the middle of the night by by the former President.

President John F. Kennedy's former butler, Tobias Johnson, describes Mr. Lincoln's ghost as polite and curious. He reported that if Mr. Lincoln wants to get your attention, he taps you on the shoulder or coughs softly.

It seems that President Lincoln isn't the only ghost that's been spotted at the White House. A number of other ghosts have been seen there, as well. President Harrison is reported to haunt the attic where he looks through old boxes, looking for something.

Former President Andrew Johnson paces the Rose Room muttering nasty words. The tenth President, John Tyler, has also appeared to White House visitors.

Abigail Adams, wife of former President John Adams, always did her own laundry and hung it in the East Room. This lady's ghostly apparition has been seen in the East Room hanging laundry on the clothes line that she had strung there.

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